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Things are so bad in this country, we don’t need just heroes. We
need superheroes.
This April 9, we once again celebrate Araw ng
Kagitingan (Day of Valor). Aptly, people are finally addressing the
root cause of our problems—our culture—and are calling for
nothing less than heroism on a scale worthy of comicbooks.
Without a culture of heroism, we will be forever
stuck at where we are now: with no one among the quiet, honest,
hardworking citizen majority bold enough to come forward to present
themselves as alternative leaders to the systematic corruption,
nepotism, cronyism and brutality of traditional politicians. We
shouldn’t have to wait for leaders at all. Heroes lead themselves.
They follow their own principles, forge their own path and take the
steps to make things right.
Artists now recognize their responsibility and
their struggle: to create a culture of heroism.
Last February 28, Dakila (Nobility), a group of
artists launched the anthem of the same name composed by protest
folk singer Noel Cabangon and sung 46 artists that included from
indigenous music stalwarts such as Joey Ayala, Bayan Barrios and
Susan Fernandez to today’s generation of artists such as funk jazz
diva Kat Agarrado of Sinosikat and Jaezell Grutas of Zel.
This was just the most recent of efforts. In the
past the group held symbolical cleansing of the nation by calling on
volunteers to refurbish the Philippine relief map at Luneta. It
succeeded in inspiring common folk, passersby well as rock stars and
activists to devote several days in scrubbing and painting the
often-overlooked monument.
In its website, www.dakila.org.ph, the group has
posted a caricature of its founding numbers as superheroes, thus
appealing to our love for Pinoy pop culture, specifically for
fantastic saviors as Darna, Panday and Lastik Man.
Dakila was instigated by spoken word and jazz
iconoclast Lourd de Veyra of the Radioactive Sago Project,
independent film maker and comedian Tado Jimenez, bassist Parokya ni
Edgar Buwi Meneses and legendary theater and cinema actor Ronnie
Lazaro. Though its core group is composed of artists, it is open to
everyone.
Its latest endeavors include Sunday Silence
6—a gathering on the Roxas Blvd Baywalk across Malate Church at 4
p.m. until sunset.
It’s time to join the league of Pinoy
superheroes.
For details, visit www.dakila.org.ph.
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